


When Azaleas Bloom

by cairusvt



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Bloom With Woncoups, Children of the Forest, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, M/M, Urban Fantasy, woncheol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:16:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25549579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cairusvt/pseuds/cairusvt
Summary: "Visit me, someday long after,and I might say I have forgotten.Blame me, in your heart,Missing you so, I have forgotten.Still blame me for all of that,Not believing you, I have forgotten.Today, yesterday, I did not forget you,but someday long after, I have forgotten.Up on the hill behind our house the green grass grows,and across the floor of the grove’s sandy stream,shadows of the grass I tossed in go floating away.Where, I wonder, is the love I long for?"Afterword from the book "Azaleas: A Book of Poems" by Kim Sowol
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Jeon Wonwoo
Comments: 15
Kudos: 24





	When Azaleas Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is for Ky and her undying love and support for the entire Woncheol nation. I know how excited you were about all this and how disappointed you were when you had to cancel your Garden of WonCoup event so I hope this can make up for it even just a little bit 
> 
> ✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿
> 
> "Such, then, is the human mind. One tries not to forget. One tells oneself that the loving memories held gently in the heart can be brought back at any time. But can the skies preserve a constant brightness while winds blow and the clouds roll by?"

✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿

Forsaken

In a dream I cried out  
awakened  
and came out to the field.

In the field,  
a gentle misting rain,  
frogs croaking in the deepening shadows.

I hesitate, hands clasped behind me,  
nervously scanning the ground.

From withing the firefly-swarming forest  
someone calls, _I am going, stay well,_  
and sings. 

✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿

  
  


Seungcheol was thirteen when his world doubled in size. 

But maybe not in the way you might think.

It all started when he ran away from a funeral. His grandmother's funeral.

He's not really used to the streets and the turns and the stops of Changwon in the summer. Not that being there at any other time of the year would help, but being confused and irritated under the heat of the sun is just too much. He huffs out an irritated breath, pulling at the front of his shirt to keep it from sticking to the layer of sweat on his skin, and he groans when something brushes past his ankle. He kicks at the bush, curses it for good measure, and he keeps on on his hike. 

If he was gonna be completely honest, he's not actually sure where he was right now. All he knows is that two nights ago, he saw his grandmother in a field of purple flowers. She turns around to face him and she smiles, saying something before the petals of the flowers around here starts to fly around here like a blizzard in a purple hue and that's when he wakes up. Then that's when his older brother told him about their grandmother. 

Fast forward to now, two days later, and Seungcheol still can't convince everyone that his grandmother is alive and in a field somewhere. And a couple of hours of searching on his phone led him to believe that the field was filled with azaleas. Royal azaleas. So he took off. Grabbed his bag, filled it with as much food he can fit next to the two water bottles he had and he even went so far as to use the money he saved up for the new game he's been waiting for for a year now just so he'd have money for bus rides to his destination. 

It takes him three bus stops, an hour of walking, and three old ladies asking him if he was lost, before he reached an uphill road leading to a forest. Well, his map says it's a forest so he thinks it's a forest. But when he saw two officers, not really knowing what kind of officers other than the fact that they're wearing uniforms, he went off trail and hid behind bushes and trees until he's well hidden from everyone. And it took him a couple of minutes to realize that he's hidden himself too well that he can't seem to find his way back to the trail. 

Thus begins his major freak out.

Seungcheol isn't dumb nor is he completely useless when it comes to situations like this. But everything seems to be messing with him that he kind of thinks someone is definitely messing with him. He'd use his phone map to see which way to go, he checked and when he moved right he went further away from the trail but when he walked the other way the map shows that he's still moving farther from the trail. He kept his phone in his bag, scared that his frustration might lead him to throwing it on a rock to see it smash into as many pieces as possible, and he decided to go about finding his way in the old fashioned way. He took out the pocket knife he took from his older brother's bag and he carved arrows on trees he passed. But not even five minutes later he comes across the very first tree he marked. So he walks on and on the second mark he sees he takes a different direction only to end up on the first tree again. 

That's when he sort of felt like crying.

So he did the most reasonable thing he could do. Seungcheol took a deep breath, sat down, and opened his bag to eat. 

He's thirteen years old. It's taking all of his conviction just not to break down and cry right then so he figured he's doing well given the circumstances. 

And then, after he's eaten half of his food, he hears it. It's not exactly a bell and not exactly a chime. It's more like a toned down and soft sound of twinkling in the air. Like maybe a bell from a distance. And Seungcheol's thirteen year old mind connected their own dots that whenever there's sound, there's people. So he zips up his bag, gets up, tries to see where the sound was coming from, and then he runs. 

He ran faster than he's ever ran before and he pushes past low branches and high bushes, kicks away rocks that make him tumble and pushes himself up from stumps that block his way. He keeps following the sound, running towards where it gets louder and turning around when he takes a wrong turn andthe sound grows more distant. He ran and he ran and he ran and then he stopped. 

He stopped at the edge of a clearing with wild grass that tickles his shin and he blinks when he sees a single purple flower in the middle of all the green. The flower sways with the wind and Seungcheol's eyes widened when he hears the sound twinkling along with the movement of the flower. He takes a deep breath. He starts walking towards the flower, stepping the wild grass flat under his now muddied sneakers and he watches as they spring back up when he lifts his feet. He stops walking forward and starts alternating his feet on that one spot and he smiles when the grass just gets back up. Then he hears the twinkling again and he looks up only to see the flower not higher. The lone flower extended down to a tiny stem and the stem was wrapped with delicate looking fingers. The wind makes the flower dance again and this time the sounds of twinkling was joined by a deep laugh.

"Here. Take it." A voice says and Seungcheol feels his chest tightens as he hears the same words his grandmother has said in his dream.

So Seungcheol does what any reasonable thirteen year old would do. He runs towards the flower and jumps, wrapping his hands around the flower as he jumps and he sees the body of a man that owns the hand. Seungcheol sees sharp and yet soft eyes and then he's seeing grass. Then he stumbles forward and rolls to the ground with his eyes closed and he sees the bright blue sky when he opens his eyes again. Seungcheol lifts his hand over his face and he smiles at the flower in his hand. He sits up, looks around behind him, and he finds the guy staring at him with wide, confused eyes, and Seungcheol blinks.

"This is mine now, mister."

"Mister?"

"You told me to take it."

"I- I was talking to the clouds. I didn't even know you were here." The guy says and Seungcheol stares at his dark eyes and black hair that dances with the wind much like his flower, and Seungcheol realizes one more thing.

"You know mister, you really shouldn't go around naked in the forest." Seungcheol says and the guy flushes pink and crosses his arms in front of his chest. He reaches for something on the ground next to him and he slips a shirt on over his head and he groans.

"Listen, kid. That flower's-" "It's mine now." Seungcheol says and he stands up.

"I need it to find my grandmother." Seungcheol says and he starts looking around the clearing.

"Your grandmother? What?"

"Don't you know what a grandmother is? Are you stupid?"

"Stupid?"

"You are stupid."

"I'm-" He takes a deep breath, "I'm not stupid. And that flower is not yours. It's mine."

"No."

"Listen here, bear cub. You should probably give it back while i'm still playing nice." The guy said and Suengcheol's ears flare at the name he's grown used to hearing. 

"I'm not a bear!" Seungcheol screams and the guy huffs. 

Just then the grass around Seungcheol starts to sway against the winds and they start to grow. Seungcheol screams when they wrapped around his ankles and wrists and he screams louder when they grab the flower out of his hand. Seungcheol watches as the grass passes it on to one after another until it reaches the grass in front of the guy. Seungcheol screams and he cries and he trashes around the grass. He sees the guy start to walk towards him and Seungcheol can't help but cry and scream for the one he missed the most. The one he wished was there. 

And then everything stops. 

"That's enough, Wonwoo." a familiar voice says and Seungcheol opens his eyes to find the grass setting him down on the ground and his head on something else. 

"Haesoo." the guy says and Seungcheol looks up and he finds a familiar view. The bright sky and his grandmother's smile.

"You didn't have to scare him that much Wonwoo." His grandmother says and Seungcheol sits up to wrap his arms around her. She laughs as he does so and she gets up and carries him.

"My, my. You've grown so much since i last saw you Cheollie." his grandmother says and Seungcheol finds himself crying on her shoulder.

"You're his grandmother? He's your grandchild?" The guy's voice says behind him and Seungcheol hears and feels his grandmother hum.

"I had said my goodbyes in his dreams and he somehow ended up thinking it was me asking him to come. And he even went to the wrong mountain." his grandmother says and Seungcheol pushes himself back and stares at him through his tears.

"You look different, grandma." Seungcheol says and she smiles.

"Oh, Cheollie. I'm so sorry for everything. Grandma's okay now." She's younger. Seungcheol finally sees it. Her hair was darker and the lines on her face had grown faint. She smiles softly at him and Seungcheol stares in awe at how beautiful she is. 

"But- But everyone told me you were gone and no one would believe me that you're here!"

"It's because I am. I'm sorry, Seungcheol. But grandma's body has grown far too old and far too weak."

"So you're dead? Are... are you a ghost now?"

"Not really. I can only stay for so long and I'm already starting to grow weak."

"Grandma's okay now Seungcheol. You have to go back or your mom and dad will worry."

"I don't wanna!"

"Seungcheol."

"You can't leave me!"

"I'm really sorry Cheol."

"I'm sorry i skipped the festival last May! I promise I'll go next year and every year after that! I promise to visit you every summer vacation and I promise I'll be good. Please just don't go. I don't want you to go, grandma. Don't leave me." Seungcheol cries and he feels a comforting and familiar pair of arms around him. 

"I'm not leaving to punish you, Seungcheol. I really have to go." Seungcheol cries as his grandmother rubs a soothing hand on his back.

"Don't leave me alone." Seungcheol screams as hard as he could and he feels his grandmother's arms tighten around him.

"I can take care of him." Says the man from behind him. Seungcheol's crying dies down a bit and he sniffs as his grandmother rubs at his back.

"Wonwoo. I can't ask that of you."

"No, I... You don't have to ask. He took it." the guy said and Seungcheol turned to peek at him only to see the flower right in front of his face. 

"Wonwoo..." His grandmother says and Seungcheol wipes at his face. 

"It's okay. Take it." The guy says and Seungcheol reaches for the flower. He turns to sit on his grandmother's lap and he stares as the guy walks up to him and kneels in front of them. 

"I can't ask this of you Wonwoo."

"You've already done so much for me so let me do this one thing for you." The guy says and then he smiles at Seungcheol.

"Hello Seungcheol, my name is Wonwoo. I'm sorry if i scared you earlier." 

"You didn't. I wasn't scared." Seungcheol says, sniffing and wiping his face with his arm as he held on to the flower as tight as he could.

"From now on, as long as you have this flower, you'll never be alone." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol stares as the man's face breaks into a smile. Seungcheol can't remember a man that's ever looked as pretty as he did. He can't think of a woman prettier than him, too, really. He placed a hand on top of Seungcheol's hair and Seungcheol picked up the sweet smell of flowers coming from him. And then Seungcheol wakes up and he's in his bed back in his grandparent's house.

Seungcheol still doesn't know how he got back or if he even left in the first place. He tries to recall what happened and he sees images of him and his grandmother playing in the field and flashes of a man growing fruits from empty trees. He remembers feeling warm and light and happy and he may not be sure if the memory was right or if meeting his grandmother was ever real, but the lone flower on top of his bag was proof enough that Wonwoo was. 

The next morning, Seungcheol didn't have the urge to tell anyone what happened. He hears old people pat his back, asking if he was fine now, and they smile sadly at him as if he was a kid that just finished his tantrum. And Seungcheol lets them. Seungcheol was quiet and well behaved for the rest of their stay and he did as he was told and only followed his brother when it was time to finally say goodbye to their grandmother. Seungcheol was sad. He's heart broken. But he knows she's happier now. She's lighter now and she can run around in an open field without getting tired. He's happy that she's finally free. But he can't help it if his heart still longs to have her with him. 

When his parents were saying goodbye to everyone and him and his older brother were already in the car, Seungcheol stared up at the sky. It was cloudy but still warm and he surprised himself when he thought of how his grandmother is enjoying her time in the field with Wonwoo. 

  
✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿

My House

At the base of a distant hill, the edge of a field,  
hard by the shore of the broad sea,  
O shall build it, my own house,  
and put a wide road out front.  
Those who go by, some  
might stop in, then go on alone.  
The day will turn dark at the rise by the white rapids.  
I shall stand at the gate and wait.  
From shadows growing lighter as dawn birds cry,  
the day turns bright and still,  
the morning comes sparkling, and I look at each who passes, wondering  
Might it be you? Might it be?

✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿

Seungcheol was running and running and running and he can't help the smile on his face every time he shakes the flower and a distant sound starts twinkling a distance away from him. 

His family agreed that they would go to Changwon twice every year. Once is for the Royal Azalea festival in May, and the other is August one. Seungcheol voiced out how excited he was and how he couldn't wait to come back. His family seems to like the idea as well, only his father had to go on a business trip at the same time his mom's work started needing people to pull in more hours. And as much as he and his brother asked for them to go with just themselves, they weren't allowed to. His brother apologized and promised they'd go next year even if their parents can't and that he'd pass his driving test just for Seungcheol. Seungcheol nods and accepts the ice cream as a bribe and Seungcheol spent the entire night staring at the flower in his hands. No matter how long it's been and how careless Seungcheol was at handling the flower, it seems to be in complete bloom and in perfect condition as it was the first time he saw it. Seungcheol remembers his promise. So whenever he feels alone he'd hold the flower and think of his grandmother again. He'd smell the same scent that came from him that one time, and then Seungcheol would feel warm and sleepy. 

But this year, They do keep their promise. His mom and Dad took a couple of days off and he and his brother would come back five days later. Seungcheol was excited, obviously, and he asked what his brother would be doing the whole time and he said he's gonna meet with his friends here. Seungcheol got permission to roam around the entire week and he thinks of a genius plan. 

"Cheol! Come on, don't run too fast."

"Hyung, keep up. We're close."

"No need to rush, you know?"

"I know but- Look! It's there." Seungcheol screams and he sprints for the clearing. He sees the field and looks around in glee as the open sky welcomes him. 

"It's here. It's really here." Seungcheol says mostly to himself and he turns to call for his brother and he sees a familiar glare right when his feet are stuck to the ground. He looks down and sees the grass wrapping around his sneakers just as he feels a hand hold up the collar of his shirt.

"You brought a stranger with you?!" 

"Wonwoo!" Seungcheol screams, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"You're real! Oh my God!" Suengcheol screams and the grass around his feet let go and he pushes himself against Wonwoo too hard and he falls on top of him in a loud laugh.

"You're-" Seungcheol was cut off by his own scream when he was lifted off of Wonwoo and was pulled backwards by the grass. He stares at Wonwoo who got up and dusted his pants and Seungcheol stares as he turns his head away from him. 

"Why did you bring someone here?"

"It's okay. He's okay. He's my just my older brother. I just wanted to show him-" "He's your brother?" Wonwoo cut him off. Wonwoo lets him down and Seungcheol sits on the grass and stares.

"You can't bring anyone here, Seungcheol. The one time you got in here was because I was... Look, people won't be able to see this place much less get inside. You're only here because of that." Wonwoo says and he points at Seungcheol's hand. 

"Wait. So my brother's-" "He's currently freaking out thinking you died in a ditch somewhere or you tripped and hit your head." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol frowns.

"I'm not- He wouldn't think I'm that dumb."

"Oh?" Wonwoo says and he moved to the edge of the clearing and pressed a hand on a tree. That's when Seungcheol hears his brother's worried voice muttering the same exact words Wonwoo said. Seungcheol can't help the frown on his face when he sees Wonwoo's satisfied smile and he looks away before he could see Wonwoo's smile fall away.

"He's just worried about you." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol huffs.

"Well he shouldn't. I'm capable of taking care of myself."

"Oh, really? Is that why you called for me like once every other day?" Wonwoo says and Seungcheol turns to stare. 

"I mean, most of the time you were just doing it because you miss your grandmother. But that one time in the alley? I'm glad you called."

"The alley?"

"The old man was following you. He smelled like rotten tree roots." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol tightens his hands around the flower.

"So everytime i... You were really there?"

"I promised you didn't I?" Wonwoo says and he slams a hand on the tree again and smiles.

"Why don't you put your brother out of his misery and just go home for now." 

"Will you be... Can I come back tomorrow?"

"Would I be able to stop you if I said you shouldn't?"

"I'll probably just want to come back even more."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol feels the grass under his feets lift him up again and Wonwoo waves his hand as he throws him back out into the forest. 

Seungcheol ends up catching himself on his feet but his momentum was still too much for him to control his movements so he ends up running straight into a tree. He lets out a muffled groan as he falls on his ass and he hears his brother screaming along with the rustling of the branches and bushes he passes by to run to Seungcheol and Seungcheol sees his worried face turn into a relieved smile as he kneels in front of him and then hits his head lightly with his knuckles. 

His brother carries him on his back on their way back to the hiking trail and Seungcheol comes up with a dumb excuse when he asks where he went. They stayed by a convenience store the whole afternoon, patching up their various scratches while stuffing their faces with as much food as they can. Seungcheol shares an earphone with his brother as they take the three buses back to their grandfather's place. Seungcheol never let go of the flower until they're back home and for the first time since he held it, he doesn't ask it for anything but tells it a promise of coming back. 

And Seungcheol kept his promise. 

He told his brother that he's just going to roam around and see the places they used to go to and he keeps his cool as his brother stares him down.

"Just don't get lost, okay? And be back before it's dark." His brother says. Seungcheol knew better than to think he had him fooled so he nodded and promised. Seungcheol charged his phone overnight, bought a portable charger, a packed lunch just because his brother told him he has to take it or he won't be allowed to go otherwise, and enough snacks for a week. Seungcheol feels like he's on a quest and he can't help but feel giddy as he gets off the last bus and runs up to the foot of the trail. He decided to walk up until halfway the trail before he pulls out the flower and the minute he does he finds the trees to his right sway against the wind. He looks around, seeing if anyone else is seeing it, but no one does. He walks down the trail and this time he knew better than to run, knew better than to chase something that isn't going away, and he looks around the trees as he lets his feet lead the way. 

Then he's there. 

And then he sees him. 

Wonwoo was leaning back on one of the trees on the other end of the meadow and Seungcheol walked silently, moving closer to him and sitting in front of him. He stares at him for a while and he notices something he only thought he did yesterday. His skin was gleaming under the shade. Not really shining but Seungcheol can see the unnatural brightness of him as Seungcheol stares and Seungcheol flinches when he smiles.

"So you do know how to keep quiet." Wonwoo says and he opens his eyes. Seungcheol crosses his arms in front of his chest and lets out a huff.

"Of course I do."

"Welcome back Seungcheol." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol stares as he smiles at him. 

Seungcheol pulls his bag in front of his lap and he hugs it as Wonwoo sits up properly as well. Seungcheol fidgets a bit before gathering enough courage to speak up and it ends up with Wonwoo speaking up before he does.

"She was happy when she left." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol looks down on the grass in between them.

"She may not have intended for you to come here but I'm glad you did. I'm glad you made her so happy with just an afternoon together." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol nods.

"She's... She's really gone? She's not here anymore?"

"She's always here. She's always gonna be with me the same way I will always be for you." Wonwoo says and he looks up at the sky. Seungcheol stares at him for a while and then it hits him.

"Did you like my grandma?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo turns to smile at him. 

"Yeah. You're grandma's pretty cool." 

"But I learned that I can't love her the way I would want to." 

"Why is that?" 

"Because she's a wonderful human who had her whole life ahead of her and I am just a forest spirit bound to this land forever."

"That's dumb."

"What?"

"I said that's dumb."

"What would you know about love?"

"I know that we always think we don't deserve the one we love. At least, that's what my brother said." Seungcheol recalls his conversation with his brother one night when he came home with endless boxes of chocolates in his arms and his brother teased him until he gave in and just ate them all with a frown.

"But I think that's part of it, you know?"

"What is?"

"Thinking they're better than you. I think that's part of love."

"Why would you think so."

"I think it's so we can keep loving them. Loving them enough to think that it'll be enough for someone like them." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo stares at him with wide eyes.

"Aren't you like, twelve?'

"I'm Fifteen!" 

"Right." Wonwoo says and he gets up and walks past Seungcheol. Seungcheol then gets up and runs to catch up to Wonwoo, screaming that he doesn't look any younger than fifteen and Wonwoo nods with an annoying smile on his face. Wonwoo asks Seungcheol if he wants to look around the forest and Seungcheol nods. He smiles up at Wonwoo and Wonwoo takes his hand before running.

On that day, Wonwoo brought him over to a hidden spring that was half an hour of hiking away and he even asked if Seungcheol wanted to be carried halfway there. Seungcheol huffs and glares at him and Wonwoo only laughs at his reaction. The spring was amazing and the water was crystal clear. When they saw it at a distance, Wonwoo stopped him with a hand over his chest and told him to look. Seungcheol did and at first he couldn't see it. He only saw it when it moved. Seungcheol stares at a deer-like animal with deep green grass-like fur and brown stumps for hooves. Its antlers were a darker shade of brown, long and curled on top of it's head, and Seungcheol watches as flowers bloom on them when it turns to look at them. Wonwoo steps forward first, telling him to only come when he calls him, and Wonwoo makes his way towards the deer. Wonwoo bowed to the deer and it does the same for Wonwoo and after a while, Wonwoo calls him over. Seungcheol took slow and cautious steps towards Wonwoo and he can't help but hide a bit behind Wonwoo when he reaches him.

"Seungcheol, this is an old friend of mine. He also guards the forest like I do." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol bows his head as the deer stares at him. The deer then bows his head to him and Seungcheol watches as the flowers on top of his head slowly falls off of his antlers and starts floating down the ground, spiraling slowly only to bloom again when it reaches the ground. Seungcheol sits down to stare at the flowers and he smiles at the pretty pink hue of it's petals.

"He's letting us drink from the spring." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol stands up and bows again, thanking him.

"Wonwoo... Can I... Would it be rude if i asked if i could touch him?" Seungcheol asks, tugging on Wonwoo's shirt, and Wonwoo smiles.

"I think he won't min. Go ask him." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol steps forward and bows again just because.

"Uh... I know you're probably not used to humans. But is it okay if i asked to touch you?" Seungcheol asks, rather awkwardly, and the deer's deep green eyes stare at him before nodding once. Seungcheol steps closer and he plants a hand on its neck and gently moves it back. His fur may look like grass but they're as soft as their dog's fur after a shower. Seungcheol can also feel an incredible amount of warmth under his palms and he moves forward to wrap his other hand around its neck and hugs him properly.

Seungcheol steps back and smiles at him and the deer stares at him with lighter eyes. 

"Seungcheol, you just hugged the oldest forest spirit in all of Sancheong. In all of Changwon." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol turns to him.

"He's warm." Seungcheol says and the deer turns his head to face him and he leans forward to nudge his snout under Seungcheol's neck. Seungcheol laughs as he wraps his arms around him again. The deer then pulls back and lowers his head towards Seungcheol and Seungcheol stares as a long stem sprouts on his head and from it blooms a bright sunflower that gleams under the sun. Seungcheol catches it as it falls from his head and the deer stares at him before bowing again and walking past him and then past Wonwoo. Wonwoo stares at the deer as it went and then he turns to stare at Seungcheol like he himself grew flowers on his head.

"You..." Wonwoo says and he trails off. Seungcheol smiles at the sunflower and he looks up at Wonwoo.

"What?" 

"Nothing, i just... Nothing." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol slips the flower in his bag with the stem peeking out of the zipper and the flower right behind his ear. 

  
  


On Seungcheol's third day there, he bought Wonwoo offerings. 

"What?" Wonwoo asks, laughing, and Seungcheol feels just a little embarrassed.

"I asked my grandfather about forest spirits and he told me that it's best to have offerings." Seungcheol says and he unzips his bag and pulls out the carefully wrapped offering and he sets it on the grass and unties it for Wonwoo. Wonwoo leans in and he stares as Seungcheol picks up a rice cake and shows it to Wonwoo. 

"They're azalea rice cakes."

"They're pretty." Wonwoo says, staring at the flowers on the rice cake and then taking a bite on one.

"Can I ask you something?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo nods as he chews.

"Yesterday, on my way out. The sunflower that the spirit gave me disappeared when I got home. And it freaked me out because I thought i lost your flower too but when i looked it's still there."

"They're not the same kind of flower, Seungcheol."

"Yeah, I know that. Yours is an azalea right? The same one's in the rice cakes?"

"Yeah. And, uh. It's a lot more special than the flower the guardian gave you. So take care of it, okay?"

"Okay."

"And don't put it on a black vase. Ever." Wonwoo warns and Seungcheol nods.

"I usually just leave it by my desk so I can look at it whenever." Seungcheol says and he realizes how embarrassing what he said was and turns his head away.

"How is your life in the real world, Seungcheol. What's the world like?" Wonwoo asks and Seungcheol blinks.

"Are you not... Can't you go out and see for yourself?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo smiles and shakes his head no. Seungcheol hated smiles like that. The same smile adults wear when they're sad but think they need to keep it from Seungcheol. 

"I have my own world here. Anything past the forest is a whole entire world that I never longed for." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol nods.

"Well. The world is fine, I guess. It's changing a lot and one day i'm gonna be one of the people who changes it." Seungcheol says with his chest out and Wonwoo smiles.

"What do you mean?"

"I want to help build a better world."

"You mean like those hard ground that scares animals out of their own homes?" Wonwoo asks with a heavier voice and Seungcheol huffs.

"No. I want to build a better world where everyone has a place. To build a better world around the world we know now. Not build over it." Seungcheol says and he lies back down on the grass and stares up at the sky.

"You know the tree you showed me yesterday with the roots growing around the rocks around it? Something like that. I don't know if I want to be an engineer or an architect but that's what I will be doing soon." Seungcheol says and he sits up and grins at Wonwoo.

"And one day. I'll make a place for you and the guardian to live in. Where you can take in as many animals you want and it won't disturb the forest at all." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo nods.

"I look forward to that promise." Wonwoo says, holding his hand out in front of him and Seungcheol smiles as he takes his hand and shakes it firmly. 

The rest of the week flies by and Seungcheol finds himself dragging his feet on his last day in Changwon. He's spent most of the time with Wonwoo, helping him roam around the forest to help broken trees and animals that have strayed too far from where they're really from. Wonwoo could easily make fruit bearing trees at will to feed some of the animals and Seungcheol as well, and Seungcheol finds himself struck in awe when he finds out Wonwoo can talk to other animals. And at the end of the day, they'd go to the spring and relax and sometimes the guardian would pass by. But today, Wonwoo doesn't lead him to the path he's starting to remember by heart.

"I told the guardian your plan."

"What plan.

"To build a world around the life on earth rather than over it. He told me to bring you here." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol follows Wonwoo past a veil of vines cascading down a huge tree branch and he finds himself in front of a gigantic tree with a trunk that's bigger than their house. There are colorful ribbons tied around the branches and Seungcheol watches as it catches the light and makes it dance around the otherwise dim clearing. It's the complete opposite of Wonwoo's meadow and Seungcheol follows Wonwoo close. 

"He told me to give you a gift of good luck and prosperity. So I'm wondering if you want a necklace, bracelet, or a ring." Wonwoo asks and he moves to place a hand on the tree and as he lifts his hand away, a slim line of a fresh branch follows behind Wonwoo's palm. 

"Bracelet. Or like, an anklet I guess." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo smiles. Wonwoo turns his hand towards Seungcheol and the branch extends and splits into two. One wrapped around his left wrist and the other around his right ankle. 

"These would protect you and would mark you as a friend to all creatures of the wild. From now on, you'll be a protector of the forest, as well." Wonwoo says and the branches pull back and Seungcheol stares at the soft woven bracelet dangling around his wrist and the thin but sturdy ring around his ankle.

"You told me this is your last day, right?" Wonwoo asks and Seungcheol nods.

"Being a protector doesn't end when you're out of the forest, okay? And you have my flower with you."

"I don't want to go, Wonwoo." Seungcheol says, moving closer to Wonwoo and burying his face on his chest. 

"You'll be fine, Seungcheol. You can't annoy me here every day of the year."

"I promise I'll be back as soon as I can." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo's hands were a warm weight on his head and back.

Wonwoo had an arm around Seungcheol's shoulders as they made their way at the foot of the trail and Seungcheol's grip on Wonwoo's shirt was tighter than he'd like to admit. Wonwoo made Seungcheol promise to come back with more rice cakes and more confidence in himself. Seungcheol nods, trying his best not to cry as Wonwoo waves from behind a tree as he goes down the trail. When he gets back to his grandparent's house, he finds their bags packed and his clothes for tomorrow's trip back home laid out on his bed. His brother tries to comfort him, telling him that he knows he's upset about leaving but that's what makes coming here special. Seungcheol couldn't sleep no matter what he tried to do and he only found himself drifting into sleep when he held onto Wonwoo's flower and the warm scent of mint and sunlight drifted around the air. 

  
  
✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿

Seesaw

The young girls of Songcheon  
leap high in their game of seesaw.  
Eight of April, Buddha's birthday, so they leap to the seesaw.

But O, the wind blow,  
how the winds blow.  
Do not set the double swing  
with elegantly ribboned lines,  
there beneath the weeping willow  
within the walls.

Where willow limbs reach down outside,  
outside the walls,  
willow limbs reach over and down--  
O my, dear sister!  
Where willow limbs descend so prettily,  
how deep those shadows are!

Overwhelmed by a spring day  
so good as this,  
for the young girls of Songcheon  
the seesaw is a practice of love. 

✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿

Seungcheol was seventeen when they let him go to Changwon by himself.

Seungcheol still insisted on keeping tradition, especially since he didn't get to come back last year due to his packed schedule and he figured he needs to go there now since he'll be busier next summer when he has to prepare for college. So he did his best to reschedule everything. He would have a packed week after but he figured it's worth it if he gets to come back. If he gets to see that place again. If he gets to see Wonwoo again. 

And yeah. Seungcheol admits that his slight crush on Wonwoo is a bit of a hurdle he has to get over soon so he figured he can enjoy the last bit of his teen years with a week of it dedicated to following Wonwoo around the forest while they share fruits Wonwoo makes. Seungcheol also promised to come back stronger and more confident and he has to show Wonwoo that he did keep his promise. 

On his way up the hill, Seungcheol sees old family owned restaurants renovating and building up their place. He takes a couple of photos and some of the older people even calls him out and tells him they remember him from all his visits here. Seungcheol tells him his grandmother always goes up here so he's trying to keep tradition for her. He manages to escape them eventually and he makes up for lost time by running up the hill and then looking around before he slips out of the trail and starts walking deeper into the forest. He pulls out Wonwoo's flower from his bag and holds onto it as he walks on. 

When he was deep enough inside the woods, the animals started to show up and stare at him. Mostly birds and wild rats looking up at him, and Seungcheol smiles. Ever since he got the gifts from the guardian's tree, he always finds himself attracting animals wherever he goes. It was embarrassing at some point, like when birds greet him by flying around his head on his way to school or when he passes by dog parks only for all the dogs to come running towards him. And one time on a field trip for their class, they went to a science emporium that had a butterfly garden and Seungcheol can still feel eyes on him when most of the butterflies are either stuck on his back or flying around him even when he runs around trying to shake them off. Seungcheol was then thrown out of his thoughts when he heard rustling from behind him. 

"I almost sent you flying out of the forest." Wonwoo says, smiling at him and Seungcheol turns and smiles.

"I'm back." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo eyes him from head to toe and then crosses his arms over his chest.

"You look..." 

"Stronger? More confident?" Seungcheol adds. He puffs out his chest with his arms on his waist and Wonwoo shakes his head.

"Wider."Wonwoo says and Seungcheol scoffs.

"I'm not fat!" Seungcvheol argues and Wonwoo grins. Seungcheol hopes Wonwoo can't hear his heart singing and he huffs out a breath.

"So you really are Seungcheol." Wonwoo says and he moves forward to hug Seungcheol. Seungcheol scoffs as he moves closer and he may be a bit awkward as he wraps his arms around Wonwoo. He still smells like fresh mint and sunlight and Seungcheol finds himself digging his face on Wonwoo's neck as he hugs him tighter.

"I missed you." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo laughs.

"I didn't. You called me like, once a week." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol pushes away and hits his arm. 

"It would be nicer if I can actually see you when I do. It's not fair." 

"My magic isn't that powerful, Seungcheol. I'm just half a spirit." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol stops and thinks and he realizes this is probably the first time Wonwoo's said anything at all about him.

"Oh, uh. I... Is it okay if we just walk around today? I really missed it here." Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo nods. 

Wonwoo takes him to the farthest edge of the forest and it all came with a warning. One step further than Wonwoo tells him to, and Seungcheol would be lost in the spirit world forever. It's a bit life threatening, yeah. But Wonwoo said he can take Seungcheol to the spirit world if he wants but he has to hold him in order to do so. So Seungcheol blushes and nods and promises to always walk one step behind Wonwoo. They start going downhill five minutes in on their walk and Wonwoo catches Seungcheol when he steps on a rock and it takes his balance off from under his feet and Seungcheol freaks out and causes both of them to fall. Wonwoo lands on top of him as he groans at the rocks poking his back and he starts freaking out internally when Wonwoo pushes himself up and glares at Seungcheol. The trees around them seem to part just right then, letting sunlight fall around Wonwoo's shoulders and his hair. Seungcheol stares for as long as he could before Wonwoo hits his head and tells him to be more careful as he gets up. Or rather, stands up. 'gets up' seems rather unappropriate for Seungcheol as of now let's say stand up. Wonwoo then leads him past a few more trees and Seungcheol was welcomed by a river with such clear water and on the other side of it looks like another mountain that mirrors the one they're in right now. 

"This is one of the many gates to the other world. If you cross that river as a human you'll come back as something else so remember what i told you." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol nods.

"Can spirits from the other world cross the river and come to our world?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo nods.

"But they have to take in a form that would suit the human world. Most would choose birds since it's easier to roam around this world like that but yeah, any animal would do." Wonwoo says and he waves his hand on the ground and a patch of grass sprouts from it and Seungcheol smiles as he sits down on it. Wonwoo then makes a tree to shade their spot and makes apples grow from it. Wonwoo reaches for a few and that's when Seungcheol notices it.

"You changed clothes." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo smiles and throws him an apple.

"I figured I needed a change. I made it from fibers from an old tree trunk." Wonwoo says and he smiles as he pulls down the sleeves of his brown sweater he has on. 

"And since it's made from fibers I made I can do this." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol watches as Wonwoo extends the sleeve and controls it to wrap around an apple far above on the tree and pulls it back down. 

"Cool." Seungcheol says and he pulls out the food he has in his bag. 

"I brought you these again. As offerings" Seungcheol teases and Wonwoo smiles at the rice cakes.

"This time i made them myself." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo sits next to him, pressing his leg up next to Seungcheol and he's only a little embarrassed for thinking about that as Wonwoo eats. 

He and Wonwoo spend the entire day there, just talking and catching up and Seungcheol even sees a couple of spirits go back to the spirit world. A couple of blue birds flying around them first before flying across the river and then diving under the water. Seungcheol then watches as two guys emerge from the water and walks toward the forest on the other side. Wonwoo tells him of the time he went across and he tells him about how the air is different. How sunlight would seep through to his bones and how you're the weird one if you have a human form liek the two they just saw. 

Which piqued Seungcheol's curiosity.

"Wonwoo. Were you a human before you were a spirit?" Seungcheol asks when both of them are lying down under the tree watching clouds pass by slowly.

"Yeah. I was. But when the guardian helped be passed on as a spirit he told me to leave my memories behind." Wonwoo says, his voice as quiet as the wind and Seungcheol sort of feels bad for bringing it up.

"But why?"

"Forever seems like a long time for someone alone, don't you think?" Wonwoo says and Seungcheol nods. 

"Well, yeah."

"Well it would've been even lonelier if i had my memories from my life as a human." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol nods. 

"What about me?" Seungcheol asks, turning his head to face Seungcheol and Wonwoo turns his head as well and smiles.

"What about you?"

"I'm here now, aren't I? You're not alone anymore." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo stares at him with something foreign in his eyes. A feeling Seungcheol hasn't seen on him since they first met. 

"You're here for now. But you'll grow past the need to come back sooner or later." Wonwoo says, looking up again and Seugncheol's glad. He's not sure what kind of face he had made right when Wonwoo's words registers in his head. 

"That's not fair. You can't say shit about if I'm coming back or not."

"If there's one thing I learned about humans since i became a spirit, it's that their promise of forever can be as long as eternity or as short as a week." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol huffs. Something inside him starts to expand into something ugly and something he knows will be shadowed by regret later on but he can't help but keep it in his chest. But it all just disappears when Wonwoo's hand holds onto his and Wonwoo takes a deep breath.

"So I'm glad you keep giving me a little bit of forever whenever you come. Thank you, Seungcheol." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol finds himself sitting up and staring down at Wonwoo. Wonwoo smiles up at him and the disgusting feeling that filled up his chest was replaced by something bigger and much more suffocating and that thing must've reached Seungcheol's brain because one minute he's staring at Wonwoo from where he's sitting and the next, he's leaning forward and kissing Wonwoo. 

Then all of a sudden he's up on his feet and he's staring at Wonwoo with a probably terrified face.

"Shit. I uh... I'm- I didn't... I'm sorry." Seungcheol picks up his bag and starts walking away.

"I'll just go and-" Seungcheol was cut off by the bushes growing to block his way and he turns to see Wonwoo getting up and smiling at him.

"You don't have to run away, Seungcheol. It's alright." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol wants to run away even more.

"I'm... I can't say i'm glad that you like me that way but I am flattered. But your grandmother would strangle me if she found out your first kiss was me."

"Why would you think that was my first kiss?" Seungcheol counters and Wonwoo just smiles.

"I may look normal but I am still magic, Seungcheol. Plus it was a bit awkward." Wonwoo teases and Seungcheol huffs.

"You can't... You can't look at me in that light, Seungcheol. It won't end well." Wonwoo says and for the first time ever, Seungcheol hears what Wonwoo sounded like with a sad voice. 

**_“Grandma?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo turns to smile at him._ **

**_"Yeah. You're grandma's pretty cool."_ **

**_"But I learned that I can't love her the way I would want to."_ **

**_"Why is that?"_ **

**_"Because she's a wonderful human who had her whole life ahead of her and I am just a forest spirit bound to this land forever."_ **

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize. I'm... I do love you, Seungcheol. But I can't love you like that." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol feels his heart spill out of his chest. Seungcheol imagines it when they were on their way back up. His heart falling from his chest and crawling to get to the river only to emerge into something with wings. Something that would never fall. And for the first time ever, he leaves the forest with a smaller heart but a heavier chest. 

Seungcheol lies awake all night, wondering if Wowoo would act differently towards him now or if he's gonna act weird towards Wonwoo now. He knew better than to resort to his usual routine and he leaves the flower on his bed as he goes to the kitchen for something to help him sleep. But when he gets there he finds his grandfather alone on the table with a bottle at hand.

"Aren't you a little too old to be drinking by yourself, gramps?" Seungcheol asks and he grabs for another glass and takes the bottle from his hand and pours himself a shot.

"I'm allowed to, once in a while. Especially given the day." His grandfather says and Seungcheol downs the shot in one go and smiles at him. 

"Do you miss her?"

"She'd be mad if i told you yes. But I know she lived the best life she could. And she did her best to let us know that she knows we love her, too." His grandfather says and he grabs the bottle from him and smiles.

"What about you? You come here every year but you don't even visit her."

"I do. I visited places we did when she was alive. I don't think she'd like it if i'd rather go to the place where she wasn't alive, you know?" Seungcheol says and his grandfather nods. 

"Remember the plants you brought home years back?" 

"Yeah.

"Can you help me get this one plant? I can't find any anywhere and your grandma would love it in her garden." his grandfather says and Seungcheol nods. 

  
  


"Stargazer lilies. Yeah. I think those were his favorites." Wonwoo says, lying down on the grass and Seungcheol nods.

"Can you help me get real ones? Ones that I can take home and plant in her garden?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo nods. 

"I can make them. But, uh. I need a bit of help." Wonwoo says, pushing himself up to sit and pulls Seungcheol up as well.

"What?"

"Give me your hand."

"Think of her. Think about what you love about her and what reminds you of her the most." Wonwoo says and he plants Seungcheol's hand on the ground between them and then places his hand on top. Seungcheol thinks of his grandmother and the first thing he comes up with is her laugh. Her loud laugh that the whole family would hear regardless of where they were in the house. He thinks about her warm hugs and he thinks of her soft hands as they danced around the garden when he was just a kid. He thinks of how beautiful she must have been in her younger years and then a picture pops up in Seungcheol's mind. He opens his eyes just in time to see Wonwoo open his and Wonwoo nods. He pulls their hands up and Seungcheol watches as a stem grows from under his palm and from the tips grew a couple of branches and they split a few more times until five flowers of the brightest pink were staring up at him. 

"Was that... my grandmother? When she was young?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo nods. 

"If Soo was a flower she would have been a rose. A rose with all the colors of petals where even her thorns would be found pretty. She was dangerous as she was pretty."

"That's why you fell for her, right?"

"I fell for her because she made me feel human again. And that's exactly why I let her go. I had to." Wonwoo says and he smiles as he uses the grass to dig up the flower down to its roots and then let the grass grow long enough to wrap around the soil to act as a temporary pot until Seungcheol can plant it back in his grandma's garden.

"Did you ever think about how your life would have been if you let her stay?" Seungcheol asks, turning away to look at a specific blade of grass far off the meadow, and he hears Wonwoo sighs.

"Seungcheol."

"What? I'm just asking." Seungcheol says, smiling as he turns to Wonwoo and his smile immediately drops when he sees him glaring at him.

"I don't want you comparing what you are to me to what she was to me. That's not fair. On both of us." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol sighs.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm... I'm not from your world, Seungcheol. Love doesn't work that way."

"That's dumb." Seungcheol answers back, rolling his eyes and Wonwoo scoffs. 

"What?" 

"I said that's dumb. You can just say love doesn't work a certain way just because you deemed it so." Seungcheol argues and something in Wonwoo snaps. Seungcheol can see it in his eyes when it did. 

"Seungcheol. I wasn't being poetic when I said your love can't reach me. I'm a half spirit bound to this forest. If I take one step outside of these trees I disappear and if I stay in the spirit world for any longer than a day I will be stuck there and I won't ever be allowed to come back. This place is not my home like it is for you and your grandmother, this is my prison." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol stares, terrified, when Wonwoo starts crying. 

"Wonwoo."

"Don't throw away your heart by loving someone dead but alive enough to still fear death." Wonwoo gets up and turns his back to Seungcheol. 

Seungcheol starts by getting up and holding Wonwoo's hand without looking at his face. Wonwoo deserves at least that little bit of privacy he can still offer. 

"I didn't... I'm sorry Wonwoo. I didn't... I didn't know." 

"It's my fault. You didn't know because I never told you about it."

"About what?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo drags him to sit under the shade of a tree and tells him everything.

Wonwoo was human, that much Seungcheol knows. But what he didn't know was that Wonwoo had wanted a life completely different from the one he was living. He can't really remember much about the details but the guardian tells him this much, that he did try to take his life after spending a day wandering around the forest. And that's when the guardian took him in and helped him. The very first memory Wonwoo has is of him waking up as he emerges from the river. The guardian then gave him his flower, telling him that that flower is his connection to the real world, and then he told him what he's done for him. How he saved him, and in return he can live as someone to protect the forest. Wonwoo starts by familiarizing himself with the forest and then seeing just up until where he can go. And then he lives his everyday life like that. Walking around, helping animals or other spirits who are in need, and then repeating the next day. That's how his life went on for years. For decades, even. That is until she came along. 

Haesoo was sunshine and laughter bundled up together in one energetic girl and the first time Wonwoo saw her was when she was fifteen and lost. But instead of crying for help she throws her shoe at his head and tells Wonwoo to stop following her. And that she's fine. Wonwoo leaves her be and a few days later she comes back with less messy clothes and with more laughter. She apologized to him for being rude and their friendship began when she offered Wonwoo a piece of bread that she baked herself. After that, days pass by with Wonwoo waiting for her to come right when the sun is setting and he says goodbye once it's fully set. Days pass by like that which turns to weeks which then turn into years. He watches as her limbs and pride grow taller but her laughter is just as full and her eyes smiles the same. 

Then one day she confessed to Wonwoo. The same day she told him about passing college. She tells him how she can choose Wonwoo over her life if he had wanted to and Wonwoo hated that he had wanted her to. He knew she did what she did out of love but it didn't help at all when Wonwoo lashes out and tells her to grow up in the worst possible way. Haesoo left that day, his Soo, smiling brightly with tears running down her face, and Wonwoo couldn't help it when his heart burned the image on his chest like an accessory he'll never be able to take off. 

Years pass by with Wonwoo acting like nothing happened and these years pass and turn into decades.

And then she was there again. She was beautiful and young, The wind around them flirts with her hair and dances with her dress and she stood there, smiling at Wonwoo, and Wonwoo felt broken and whole at the same time. She laugehd and she ran and Wonwoo felt what’s left of his heart break into nothing when she had hugged him and he couldn't feel her warmth anymore. That was the day Wonwoo knew what it felt like die once again. 

Wonwoo cried as she tells him her story and Wonwoo cried when she tells him about her family. How her husband couldn't take care of a plant to save his life and how her only daughter gave her two beautiful grandsons. Then she tells him that she loves him with whatever love her lifelessness could offer and Wonwoo kept crying on her shoulder as he tried to tell her how much he loves her, too. Then she tells him to always keep his head up, whether he's smiling or crying. "You've always been my favorite flower, Wonwoo. A beautiful lily that looks up at the stars. No matter what." 

Then two days later, when Wonwoo was thinking about giving whatever life he still has to offer to the only person he's ever loved, a flying child came in and grabbed his flower. 

And the rest fell into place. And here they are now, sitting on the grass with their hearts on each other's hands. 

"I can't put you through the same crossroad your grandmother thought she had to face, Seungcheol. I won't ever make you choose between living your life and loving me. And you can't ever ask that of me, too." Wonwoo says with tears streaming down his cheeks and Seungcheol reached to steal away the tear with his thumb. 

"I wouldn't. I promise I won't." Seungcheol swears and Wonwoo nods.

"Good. because I can't answer you as selflessly as I answered Soo. I'm not strong enough to be selfless anymore, Seungcheol." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol's heavy chest regains some sort of balance once again. He can't be sure if his heart has flown back in or not but he's pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that Wonwoo's hands are in his as they watch the trees sway with the wind and the clouds laze around over their heads. They put their tears aside and focused on holding onto what they can for now. Because no matter how much Seungcheol wants to use the words “keep in touch", he knew better than anyone that touch isn't something you can keep for any longer than it really is. 

That night, Seungcheol helps his grandfather plant the lilies. He doesn't ask Seungcheol why he started crying at the sight of the flowers looking up at him but he wraps a comforting hand around his shoulder and laughs.

"You boys are like this because she'd been too soft on you, you know?" His grandfather says and Seungcheol laughs with tears running down his face. 

  
  


The rest of the week with Wonwoo was a lot more somber than he had initially wanted. They helped a spirit in the form of a bear to get out of a fallen tree trunk that trapped her on the ground and Wonwoo effortlessly lifted it up by using the vines around them. They also saw a few more spirits by the riverside and some even went over in their human-like form to greet Seungcheol. Seungcheol brought a basket of food for them to share by the river everyday and Wonwoo thanks him everytime with a smile and a kiss on his cheek.

On his last day, he brought a proper picnic basket for Wonwoo, bringing him food he wouldn't get from any tree and Seungcheol watches as Wonwoo completely falls in love with marshmallows and chocolate syrup. Seungcheol tries to sneak photos of him whenever he gets the chance, knowing full well that it'll just break his heart when he checks them later on, and Wonwoo made bananas and apples and pears and then sliced everything before laying them out on the plate and covering them with chocolate. Seungcheol laughs as Wonwoo makes a mess of his face by shoving everything in his mouth. Wonwoo just watched when Seungcheol kissed the chocolate away from his lips and he smiled as Wonwoo blushed and then rolled his eyes. 

They met the guardian by the river this time and Seungcheol feels his gaze on their intertwined hands. Seungcheol bows and lets go of Wonwoo's hand as he moves forward to feel the guardian's fur as hee gives him a hug. Seungcheol takes a deep breath as the guardian's warmth seeps into his skin and he pulls away to kneel in front of him before pressing his forehead against his. 

"Thank you for saving Wonwoo." Seungcheol says and the guardian blinks at him. Seungcheol gets up and for some odd reason he felt like he had to follow the guardian when it walked away. Wonwoo walks up next to him and they follow the guardian to the edge of the river.

"He's saying his thanks to you, as well." Wonwoo says Seungcheol turns to him and he sees Wonwoo smiling at the guardian's back. 

"Spirits from all over have come to him since they saw the guardian's tree on you and they've made the forest more alive than it's ever been." Wonwoo relays the message and the Guardian turns when he's halfway across the river. He bows his head and holds one of his front legs and Seungcheol can hear the air around him stop moving just then. Like the entire forest, all of its trees and shrubs and flowers and leaves, are all bowing to him as well. 

"He's... He's granting you one favor." Wonwoo says and Wonwoo stares at the guardian with a happy and surprised look on his face. 

"He'll grant it to you when the time is right. He says he'll know it by listening to your heart whether it is what you want the most or not." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol turns to the guardian and bows as well. The guardian then turns and heads for the other end of the river and Seungcheol watches as he disappears inside the trees. 

The goodbyes were lighter yet more full this time around. Seungcheol tells Wonwoo about his plans to come back the year after next. To focus on his studies and that Wonwoo would distract him from it if he does come back next year. Wonwoo used a tree branch to his Seungcheol at the back of his head and Seungcheol laughs as he waves goodbye. He finds himself tearing up but he also can't say he isn't happy. He swings his picnic basket as he walks down the trail, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand since he's holding onto the flower as he does so. He reassures Wonwoo he's fine and that he's crying out of pure joy and then he hears his laughter. Seungcheol finds himself tearing up some more and then the laughter gets louder. As if he was just right there, in front of him. 

"I'm glad to see you're still the same." Wonwoo's voice says in front of him and Seungcheol stares.

"But- You're not... We're out of... How are you..?"

"Whenever you call for me and you're somewhere with enough plants, I can come to you." Wonwoo says and he hugs Seungcheol. Seungcheol cries into Wonwoo's shoulder and he can't help the laughter that spills out with his tears.

"But don't overdo it. You're causing me so much magic as it is." Wonwoo says and he pulls back. He held Seungcheol's face up by his jaw and Seungcheol stared as the wind started blowing around them. Leaves dance around them like they do when Wonwoo's in the forest and Seungcheol smiles when Wonwoo starts to disappear.

"I guess it's time I take my leave. I'll see you later, my love." Wonwoo says, winking, and Seungcheol watches him blow away into dozens of brown leaves. Seungcheol laughs at his dumb joke and he manages to get home without asking Wonwoo to come to him.

But when he was in the garden and his grandfather was long asleep, Seungcheol called for him. Wonwoo appears behind him and he smiles at the garden in front of him. Seungcheol tells him about the time his grandmother used to make this garden the way it is now and he tells him how his grandfather is doing his best to keep it alive. They sat on the lawn, under the moonlight and all the stars, and they spoke in hushed voices that only a few bright lilies could overhear. 

  
  


✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿

Road

Again last night  
at a wayside inn,  
ravens crying _kawak, kawak_ , awake all night. 

Today,  
how many miles  
again lead where?

Up into the mountains,  
down to the plains?  
With no place that calls me I go nowhere.

No need to speak of home,  
Kwaksan in Chongju,  
that the rain and the boat go there.

Hear me, wild geese  
in the sky,  
is the road in the air you travel so sure?

Hear me, wild geese  
in the sky.  
I am standing at the center of this crossroads.

Again and again the paths branch,  
but not one way  
is mine. 

✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿

Seungcheol came back when he's already twenty-one.

He and Wonwoo had agreed on meeting only once a month and Seungcheol made it sort of their official monthsary thing and he does it every first day of the month. He greets Wonwoo with a hug every single time and he gets a kiss on the cheek right before Wonwoo disappears. Wonwoo told him his magic can only do so much in this much range so Seungcheol understands. Seungcheol is more than delighted now that he can see Wonwoo enough times in a year rather than waiting for a year just to have him for a week. Seungcheol does his best to do it in the most suitable place every time. He calls for Wonwoo in their own garden. He figured doing it at night would be safer but Wonwoo tells him on the first time he tried that he could stay longer when it's the day since he can get sunlight so Seungcheol devised a plan. 

Seungcheol sets up a little picnic blanket in their garden and prepares a simple feast for Wonwoo even before he calls him. Wonwoo loved chocolate and marshmallows so much that when Seungcheol introduced him to chocolate covered marshmallows he looked absolutely adorable as he hums in glee with his mouth full. 

They did get caught one time when his mother went home and found Seungcheol on a blanket in their garden with a boy they've never met. His mother was absolutely thrilled. She basically took up most of Seungcheol's time with Wonwoo but she eventually had to get back to work. Seungcheol told everyone he's from somewhere far away and that's why they only meet once a month. His mother gave him a suggestive eyebrow wiggle at that and Seungcheol whines as he finishes his dinner. 

It was a lot easier when he started college, though. Their campus had a huge garden just because they can and Seungcheol would set up on the edge where no one walks by and he'd call for Wonwoo after taking a look around. When someone does pass by, it just looks like two guys having a picnic.

In winters, he'd have an extra coat on his arms just to make Wonwoo wear it when he does come since apparently it doesn't ever change weather in his forest. Their meetings would be shorter and more of them just talking but Seungcheol wouldn't have it any other way. A cold winter day with Wonwoo is by far warmer than any summer day he's ever known.

Regardless of the weather or where he calls Wonwoo, he'd welcome him with a hug and Wonwoo would say good bye with a kiss to his cheek. 

But in his third year of college, when he has a better grasp at his time and his work and his schedule, he once again frees the first week of August and this time he drives to Changwon by himself. 

He gets to his grandfather's house on the last day of July and spends the night telling him about his school and life. He tells him he can move in with Seungcheol and his family since he's getting too old for him to still live alone and he gets a smack on the back of his head. His grandfather tells him if he's so worried then he can move in here and Seungcheol laughs. He spends the morning cooking and promised his grandfather to be back by sun down. Seungcheol leaves his car and takes the three buses there. He walks around longer, looking and staring at the new buildings and the old buildings being renovated and he stares at new faces who are probably thinking he's a new face there as well. He heads up the trail, heads straight for the woods when the right moment comes where no one is looking at him, and he smiles at the familiar sight of the meadow. Wonwoo was standing in the middle with his back to Seungcheol and Seungcheol made a run for it and by the time Wonwoo's turned around to face him, Seungcheol had already jumped and he tackled Wonwoo down with a hug. Wonwoo laughs as he carries them both with the grass underneath him and Seungcheol rolls them around so Wonwoo was on top of him. He smiles and pulls him back in for a tighter hug. 

"Hey, is the guardian around?" Seungcheol asks after cleaning up after their picnic and Wonwoo nods. 

"He's by the spring, i think. Why?"

"I want to ask him something." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo nods and offers his hand to Seungcheol before leading the way. The guardian was lying down in front of the spring and Seungcheol had to focus to see where the grass on the ground starts and where his fur begins. He lifts his head up and turns to them and they both nod before walking forward and sitting down as well. 

"If it's alright, i want to ask you something." Seungcheol says and the guardian nods at him. 

"Why did you lie to Wonwoo." Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo gasps.

"Seungcheol!" 

"You told him a lie about his life. Why?" Seungcheol insisted and he feels Wonwoo's hand on his wrist, pulling him back. 

_You know the truth?_ The guardian asks, speaking in his head, and Seungcheol nods. 

"There's not much that modern day technology can't do." Seungcheol says and the guardian sighs deeply.

"Seungcheol, what is this about?" Wonwoo asks and Suengcheol takes a deep breath

"This is why I said I'll be back this year. I found out who you were. Why you were chosen to be a spirit bound to this land."

"I already told you it's my punishment. For taking my life for granted, I get to take care of life for as long as I can." Wonwoo insisted and Seungcheol shakes his head no.

"Do you think he would choose someone from just one action? And for redemption at that?" Seungcheol argues and Wonwoo's unsure eyes were a weight he felt uncomfortable with. 

"What?"

"He chose you because you protected life, Wonwoo. Not because you took yours by yourself." Seungcheol says and the guardian turns to look at Wonwoo. He bows and lift his head up to Wonwoo.

_He speaks of the truth, my child. You saved a child who loved these woods, as much as you do now, and I took your kind gesture and paid it forward."_

"A kid got lost in the forest and you saved him." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo takes a step back.

_He found himself by the river and to protect the spirit world from humans, the river would turn harsh. It would become deeper and it would flow faster. You heard him and saw him and without hesitation you swam for him. You managed to help him get to shore but the river plays favorites to none. When the trees told me of what happened I rushed to give you what help i could give but you've already crossed the river._

"Then why did you have to lie?" Seungcheol asks once again and the guardian sighs.

_To give him purpose. To drive him to be better._

"You lied to me?" Wonwoo's voice breaks as he stands up and Seungcheol gets up as well.

_Forgive me, my child. But making you believe that would only push you to be better. To appreciate what you've been given._

"Do you think I would have hated what you've given me if I had known the truth?" Wonwoo's voice shatters with too much emotions and Seungcheol wants to reach out to him.

_I was afraid that given enough time you'd have resented your good deed. For that good deed had stolen your life from you."_

The guardian's words ring inside Seungcheol's head and for the first time ever he sees something in Wonwoo's face that he never thought he would ever see. He sees resentment and anger and all of it was wrapped up by broken trust.

"I can't tell if what you had feared wouldn't happen because I don't know myself enough to be sure. But one thing I am sure of is that all of this happened for a reason." Wonwoo says wrapping his arms around himself as he held his chin up high.

"But you can't expect me to still hold onto the trust you built on a lie."

_I sincerely apologize, my child. What I did, I did out of my best intentions._

"You gave me a second chance and I've done my best to use this second chance for the best that I could. I... I don't... I just don't know." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol moves to take his hand in his. Wonwoo squeezes his hand and he bows towards the guardian.

"I would like to keep talking to him, if that's okay?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo nods and walks away. 

"I would like to talk to you about my favor." Seungcheol starts and the guardian nods.

  
  


Wonwoo was out of it for the rest of the day and Seungcheol can't help but feel like it's his fault. He'd always been curious about him and who he was when he was alive. So Seungcheol had been searching about news around this place to get just an inkling of who Wonwoo was. He never knew he'd find it that easily.

"How long have you known?" Wonwoo asks when he was walking Seungcheol down the trail and Seugncheol smiles at him, unsure.

"Not long. I wanted to tell you last month but i wasn't... I didn't think leaving you with that would be the best thing to do." Seungcheol says. Wonwoo nods and smiles.

"Wonwoo."

"It's fine. I'm glad i had you here when i found out. I think I would've gone crazy if i had to wait a month to see you after that." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol smiles. 

"Tomorrow, I'm thinking of doing something pretty stupid." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo nods. 

"That's nothing new, is it?" Wonwoo quips and Seungcheol hits his arm. Wonwoo laughs and moves back closer to his side.

"I mean it. So rest up. I'll be back early in the morning." 

"Okay, now i'm worried."

"Don't be." Seungcheol says and he smiles as he walks down.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol watches him walk a step back into the trees and disappears into the shadows. Seungcheol scrolls through the photos on his phone and smiles, remembering the guardians' words.

  
  


The next morning, Seungcheol arrived as the sun started to rise and Wonwoo was still lying in the middle of the meadow. Seungcheol lies next to him, leaving his bag on the ground next to him as he wraps his arm around Wonwoo's waist. Wonwoo groans in his sleep and Seungcheol uses his other hand to pull out his phone and he leans his face close to Wonwoo's, pressing his forehead on his, before taking a photo. Wonwoo groans and lifts Seungcheol up in the air as he rolls away and Seungcheol laughs as he asks to be let down. Wonwoo sits up and glares at him and Seungcheol screams when the grass lets him go mid air and he falls on the soft grass. Seungcheol stares at his phone and he smiles at the photo. He screams and gets up and he tackles Wonwoo to the ground. 

"It worked! Come on." Seungcheol says. He gets up and pulls Wonwoo up on his feet and he picks up his bag as they run. Wonwoo kept calling for him asking him what they were going to do and Seuncheol just smiles as he rushes past the trees and into the familiar path to the trail. Wonwoo starts tugging back his hand but they were already out on the trail. Seungcheol runs faster down the trail and Wonwoo screams for him to stop. 

"Trust me on this." Seugncheol says and they pass the gate of the mountain and into the concrete road. Seungcheol stares at Wonwoo's shocked expression and he laughs when Wonwoo starts laughing.

"You told me you could bring me to the spirit world even if i was human so i figured i could bring you to the human world even if you were a spirit. And the guardian said it'll work so i had no doubt about it." Seungcheol explains and he holds up his phone to Wonwoo who smiles at the photo of the two of them on Seungcheol's phone. 

"What?" 

"Long story short, I'm taking you out on a date and you're literally not allowed to let go of my hand." Seugncheol says and he tugs Wonwoo onwards. 

  
  


Not even five steps later, Wonwoo tugs on his hand.

"I have a problem." Wonwoo says, looking down on his bare feet and Seungcheol apologizes before unzipping his bag and pulling out the sandals he forgot he brought for him. Wonwoo stares at them for awhile and Seungheol drags him on the side of the road before kneeling down and leaving the hand he's holding on top of his head as he leans down and straps the sandals on for Wonwoo. He takes Wonwoo's hand from his head and smiles at him as he stands up. Wonwoo says they were a bit weird but he just let Seungcheol drag him along. 

Seungcheol tells Wonwoo about how he came up with the plan. It's been years since he started taking photos of Wonwoo where Wonwoo won't show up and instead of being disheartened, Seungcheol just keeps at it. Until one time, when he's scrolling through photos of half a picnic basket and empty fields, Seungcheols sees a photo of their hands intertwined. So he asked the guardian about it and Seungcheol's suspicions were right. Wonwoo is just as human as he is spirit. 

The very first thing that Seungcheol introduces to Wonwoo is the magic that he could never bring up the mountain.

Refrigerated goods.

After Wonwoo had claimed that he'd lay his life down for chocolate and marshmallows, Seungcheol figured he had a sweet tooth that could rival his own. So he buys him every chocolate flavor ice cream he sees and watching Wonwoo eat was enough to fill his heart. Wonwoo stares a lot at a lot of things as they walk around town and he can't help but wave at every person that stares at him. Which is everyone that passes by them. Wonwoo also turns and walks backwards most of the time, eyes still wandering as they walk around. And Seungcheol can't help but smile fondly as he points and asks him about everything and anything that piques his curiosity. Seungcheol bought enough food for their lunch and dinner in one go and he was about to ask if Wonwoo was okay for a ride to his house when he started feeling light headed. Seungcheol shakes his head and blinks the dizziness away but he still ends up stopping mid sentence and he feels Wonwoo's arms around him as he falls and passes out. 

Seungcheol wakes up in the meadow with his head on Wonwoo's lap and Wonwoo's hand playing with his hair. Wonwoo smiles at him as he sits up and Wonwoo laughs as he pushes him on the ground with a hug. He thanks him over and over and Seungcheol laughs as Wonwoo buries his face on his chest. They stay like that for a while and they eat lunch when Wonwoo had wiped away the last of the happier tears he's shed and he thanks Seungcheol one last time with a kiss on his cheek. 

They spent the rest of the day just resting since their short trip has taken a toll on them both and Wonwoo made Seungcheol promise to not do it again for the entire week. Seungcheol promised with half a heart and he thought of another way to take him there. 

The guardian comes by the meadow right as Seungcheol was fixing his stuff. Seungcheol watches as the trees part to make way for him and the guardian bows before speaking.

_I've come to tell you that I agree to your terms with your favor. It seems like the river favors love more than it does experience._

"Really?"

"Seungcheol."

"I'm sorry I haven't told Wonwoo about it yet. Could I maybe have a moment with him?" Seunghceol asks and the guardian lets out a grunt and nods. 

Seungcheol pulls Wonwoo aside to tell him his plan for his favor and Wonwoo takes a step back and slaps Seungcheol. Seungcheol can't say he didn't expect it but he can't say it didn't surprise him as well.

"You promised. You promised you won't put me through this." Wonwoo says as he takes a step back and Seungcheol reaches to grab onto his arms.

"This is different, Wonwoo."

"You cannot be this naive, Seungcheol. You can't possibly believe in this childish dream. This isn't a happy ending you can just have because you think you deserve it. Magic comes with consequences. The more you get the more they will take. And I'm not letting them take any more from you." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol smiles.

"I'm not asking for your permission, Wonwoo." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo pulls his arms away from Seungcheol and huffs out a breath. 

"Then I won't either." Wonwoo says, reaching for his jacket and pulling out his flower. Seungcheol watches as he throws the flower to the middle of the meadow and a single blade of grass grabs its stem and pulls it down on the ground just as azaleas blooms all over the meadow.

"I told you before that the only reason you keep finding this place is because of my flower. So I'm asking you to pick one flower and leave. Whether you are able to find your way back or not is up to you." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol takes a deep breath.

"Wonwoo I've already made the deal. It's a favor. The guardian had already-" Seungcheol was cut off by Wonwoo turning to the guardian and Seungcheol screams when the guardian was pushed back by the trees.

"Wonwoo!"

"Pick one and leave." Wonwoo's voice was harsh and frightening but Seungchel isn't Seungcheol if he wasn't stubborn.

"No." Seungcheol says, standing his ground. And he can feel the grass threatening to wrap around his shoes.

"Then I'll show you the way out." Wonwoo says raising his hand so Seungcheol throws himself towards Wonwoo and wraps his arms around him.

"What are you doing? Get off!"

"You told me to pick one, so I am. I'm choosing you." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo stops struggling. Seungcheol watches as the azaleas start to blow away with the wind, petal by petal, and Wonwoo starts crying.

"You don't want me to choose between you and my life so I'm choosing both." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo falls to his knees and pushes Seungcheol away.

"Stop it!" Wonwoo scrceamed and he pushes Seungcheol away as he falls on the ground.

"Wonwoo."

"Stop making me think I can have this, Seungcheol." Wonwoo says, crying in the middle of his own little meadow and Seungcheol fights back his own tears to be the one Wonwoo can lean on for now. The guardian finds his way back once Wonwoo has stopped influencing the trees and he lets out affronted huff. Seungcheol gives him the most apologetic look he can muster up and he smiles as he hides Wonwoo's face in his chest.

"Give me... give us a bit of time." Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo's hand tighten on his wrist.

"No."

"Wonwoo, just-"

"No. Do it now." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol turns to the guardian before staring at him again. 

"What?" 

"Now. Before I change my mind and end up doing something stupid." Wonwoo says and the guardian nods. Seungcheol nods and he kisses Wonwoo. 

  
✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿  
  


Azaleas

When you turn away from seeing me  
and go,  
gently, without a word, I shall send you away.

From mount Yak in Yongbyon,  
azaleas  
I shall gather an armful and scatter them your way.

Step after step away  
on those flower placed  
before you, press deep, step lightly, and go. 

When you turn away from seeing me  
and go, though I die, no not a single tear shall fall.

✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿

Seungcheol only comes back to the forest when he's twenty-five years old. 

He's about to move into a cozy little studio in the middle of Seoul and he figures it's a good place to visit before heading on to a new chapter in his life. 

A new chapter in their life.

"Your car hates me. I just know it does." Wonwoo says, coming out of the car and Seungcheol laughs. 

"It doesn't. Stop pouting, we're here to visit grandma." Seungcheol says and he pulls Wonwoo in the house. 

After Seungcheol's favor came into effect, Wonwoo seemed unchanged. But that's only because Seungcheol can't differentiate human Wonwoo from half spirit Wonwoo if he's just looking at him. The guardian told him that the change would be gradual to help Wonwoo's body and soul aapt to just being human and that for the mean time he'd have to stay. Seungcheol nods and Wonwoo looked more shaken than ever. So Seungcheol asked permission from the guardian and his grandfather to stay the night and he lies on Wonwoo's meadow with Wonwoo's hand in his as they watch the stars watch them. 

The guardian had already told Seungcheol all the things he had to do and the first one would be to teach Wonwoo about the world. The modern world. And he knew exactly where to bring him,

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Seungcheol calls out and they hear his grandfather yell from the garden. 

"He's gonna tell me i'm doing something wrong." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol pulls him in and they walk towards the garden. He had the water hose in his hand and was watering the plants and as Seungcheol opens the door, Wonwoo walks out and grabs the house from his hand. 

"You're drowning them! Didn't I already tell you just how much water they need?" Wonwoo yells and Seungcheol watches as his grandfather grunts and hits Wonwoo at the back of his head. Wonwoo groans and glares as he rubs the back of his head.

"And I thought I taught you how to talk to your elders!" 

"You did! And I am older than you." Wonwoo yells back and Seungcheol moves in and pulls him back. 

Seungcheol was a bit sceptical when he first told his grandfather about everything but he thinks maybe his grandmother also told him a bit about Wonwoo's world that he didn't blink an eye when he said he'll take him in. Seungcheol checked in most of the time and he spends most of his free days in his grandfather's house, watching the two of them talk and sometimes his grandfather even takes Wonwoo out just to feel the world more and to see the world first hand. 

Seungcheol was tasked to take Wonwoo to the mall by taking the train and it was a hell of a date. 

"What are you two doing here?" his grandfather asked and Seungcheol shrugs.

"Just passing by. We're moving to the city and thought we should stop by."

"You're ruining my day."

"I told you he'd be moody." Wonwoo adds and they both grunt at each other. Seungcheol smiles and pulls everyone in out of the sun to talk.

After a year of 'lessons', Wonwoo was introduced to the rest of the family as his grandfather's caretaker plus an unofficial adopted grandchild. By that time, they're a year apart by age, with Seungcheol being older than Wonwoo, and his mother instantly remembers him from the time they caught them in the garden. Wonwoo admits that they met years ago and he tells them the background story they've all agreed on. That he was in an orphanage till he was eighteen and he's been supporting himself since then and Seungcheol's grandfather hired him to help him and keep him company in his house. 

The time Wonwoo spent studying how to be a human spends a lot of his energy so he rests up by using the last remaining magic in him and making flowers grow in the garden. And It wasn't long until everyone on their street could see the amount of flowers in their lawn so his grandfather made a brilliant idea to sell them. 

"How is it handling Haesoo's Garden by yourself?" Seungcheol asks and he stares at the little window he made to serve as the shop front and Seungcheol still remembers the long faces of the two when he asked them how much the flowers are gonna cost. Wonwoo felt wrong for using his magic to gain something and his grandfather murmuring how his grandmother would hang him by his feet for capitalizing on her garden. All in all it was an entertaining afternoon for Seungcheol.

"A pain. You two owe me big time." His grandfather says and Wonwoo huffs.

"I'm sure grandma's loving seeing you work hard all day in her garden." Seungcheol adds and Wonwoo nods.

"I'm sure she is." His grandfather says with a smile and they all look out in the garden. The five stargazer lilies dazzling in the middle of all the azaleas. 

"I'm gonna be honest with you two, the flowers freak me out. They grow and bloom every week and I'm starting to feel like when they bloom it's because of her." his grandfather says and Seungcheol laughs. 

"When I told her about them, she told me that when azaleas bloom, we should, too." Wonwoo says with a smile.

"What does that mean?"

"I have no idea. Your grandma's a crazy woman."

"Yeah. I love that about her." Seungcheol says and they laugh.

"Me too." his grandfather adds. 

"So do I." Wonwoo says. 

They all helped to make their dinner and afterwards, the two of them went out. They took three buses and walked a bit until they're in the familiar little town Seungcheol grew up seeing grow and change. They walk past the houses and the shops with a heavy heart and when they get to the trail, Wonwoo stops walking. 

"Are you scared?"

"I've never been scared when I'm with you." Wonwoo says. Seungcheol offers him his hand and Wonwoo smiles before he takes it. They walk in the dark forest with just the flight from Seungcheol's phone and Wonwoo stops him when they're deep enough for him to use magic. He plants a hand on a tree and from the trunk comes out a stream of fireflies dancing around him. Wonwoo held up his hand then fireflies lined up to show them the path. 

Seeing the meadow after years stirs something in Seungcheol's chest and seeing the guardian there standing pride and tall, makes him feel like he's thirteen and lost all over again. Seungcheol finds himself walking towards him and reaching out for him. The guardian lowers his head to press his forehead on Seungcheol and Seungcheol takes a deep breath as he holds onto his fur. The guardian takes a step back and Seungcheol feels like crying when the guardian lowers his head to let a stem bloom on his head and Seungcheol barely catches the sunflower that falls from his head. 

Wonwoo walks up next to him after than and he hugs the guardian slowly before he falls to his knees. Wonwoo told him everything he's kept in his heart for hundreds of years and Seungcheol gasps when he sees the guardian tear up. Without a word from any of them, Seungcheol and Wonwoo both stood up in front of him and held out their hands. A tear fell on each of their hands and Seungcheol watches as an image of a sunflower blooms in his hand just as a lily bloomed on Wonwoo's. the light drops down on their palm again and the light circles their wrists in a single fine line the line then connects from Wonwoo's hand to Seungcheol and both of their hands connect to the guardian's antlers. 

_Choi Seungcheol, our protector. May you always wear your heart like a crown and may your courage to love help you prosper in life._

_Wonwoo. Jeon Wonwoo. That is the name that I had stolen from you and it is the name i give to you as a gift of farewell. You've made my garden bloom with your care and I will forever treasure the love you've taught me._ The guardian then bows and asks Wonwoo for the thing they really came here for. 

Wonwoo has been aging since the guardian granted Seungcheol his favor, but he still wasn't completely human. The guardian tells Wonwoo that taking his magic completely would hurt Wonwoo's mind and heart. It's like a limb was just completely severed so he told Wonwoo to start learning to live without it and when he is ready, he'll give his magic back by himself.

And here he was.

Wonwoo was sitting cross legged in front of the guardian and he smiles and nods. The guardian leans close and breathes out in front of Wonwoo and a white light starts blowing out of Wonwoo's chest and Seungcheol watches as a white ball of light floats behind Wonwoo. Wonwoo falls to his side and Seungcheol drops to his knees to catch him only to see a white fox pushing Wonwoo up. Before Wonwoo could react, the guardian did the same thing to him and he felt a shiver pass though his chest. He looks up and sees Wonwoo looking at him and something nudges his elbow. He lifts his hand and a greyhound that's stark white barks up at him. Seungcheol picks him up and laughs as he licks up his face. 

_They are your familiars. Wonwoo's fox contains his magic and from here on out, he will look after the forest as you did. And just like Seungcheol, his greyhound would protect and keep him company for all eternity._

Wonwoo leans down to run his palm over his familiar's head and Seungcheol's familiar starts barking and struggling so he lets him go. He runs up to Wonwoo and the fox runs around Wonwoo as he is chased and Seungcheol watches as they chase each other around the meadow and then they start running off the ground around the air. 

The guardian explains how they may be able to come back some time if time and magic permits, but he assures them that they'll always be connected forever.

 _Be well, and may your hearts bloom, always._ The guardian says and he bows. The two of them bows and the guardian wills the fireflies to make a path for them one last time. Wonwoo tears up as he takes his last step in his meadow and Seungcheol can feel Wonwoo's tender heart as he takes his hand. Wonwoo walks with his head up, smiling and crying at the same time, and Seungcheol's heart wrings in pain as he watches the last of the fireflies fly into the darkness from where they're standing on the trail. On their bus rides to his grandfather's home, Wonwoo does nothing but cry and look up at the stars. He apologizes to Seungcheol endlessly and Seungcheol wipes his tears and mirrors his smile as he shakes his head. They slept together in Seungcheol's old room and they woke up to steaming rice and eggs and warm goodbyes. 

Wonwoo tells Seungcheol's grandfather about his plan to take an entrance exam to make up for his lack of educational background and he tells him of his plans to build a better world. In the meantime, he's opening up his own flower shop in the city with the place he and Seungcheol bought and Seungcheol starts thinking that Wonwoo's prolonging the conversation because he doesn't want any more farewells. So his grandfather kicks them out and yells at them to drive on and they did. Wonwoo cries again and Seungcheol laughs when he finds himself tearing up as well. 

"Oh, by the way. I found these in my pocket last night." Wonwoo says and he shows Seungcheol seeds on the palm of his hands. 

"Looks like he does play favorites." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo smiles. When they plant the seeds in their small indoor garden, Wonwoo falls to his knees as the seeds instantly grow into buds of a familiar flower they both love. So he and Seungcheol decided then. 

When the azaleas bloom, they'll open their shop and start their life. When azaleas bloom, they will, too. 

  
  
✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿⊰✲⊱✿✿⊰✲⊱✿  
  


**Author's Note:**

> "Such, then, is the human mind. One tries not to forget. One tells oneself that the loving memories held gently in the heart can be brought back at any time. But can the skies preserve a constant brightness while winds blow and the clouds roll by?"
> 
> All poems in the story are by Kim Sowol, translated by David R. McCann


End file.
